Music-leaf turner and holder.



'PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

H. O. STEVENS.

MUSIC LEAF TURNER AND HOLDER APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

9d iigcsses PATENTED JAN. 3, 1905.

H. O. STEVENS.

MUSIC LEAF TURNERAND HOLDER.

APPLIOATION FILED AUG. 12, 1903.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

I "n ""lp-plnplr" VIIII'IIIIII I) @Alfergcys UNITED STATES Patented January 3, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER AND HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 779,381, dated January 3, 1905.

Application filed August 12, 1903. Serial No. 169,253.

To all It'll/07m it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, HARRY OSMAN STEvENs, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomfield, in the county of Davis and State of Iowa, have invented a new and useful Music-Leaf Turner and Holder, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to combined musicholders and leaf-turners; and its object is to provide a simple, eii'ective, and comparatively inexpensive attachment for pianos, organs, and music-stands by which a music-book or separate sheets of music may be held securely in position and the leaves or the separate sheets containing the com position to be played automatically turned as desired by the operatorsimply depressing a release-key whenever it is necessary to turn a leaf.

A further object of the invention is to provide a music-holder and leaf-turner having a plurality of leaf-turning arms with improved means for releasing the arms one at a time; to provide improved means for positively securing loose sheets of music at their inner margin; to provide improved means for holding books of different sizes and keeping the unused leaves of the book in place, and to provide means for conveniently returning all of the leaf-turning arms to their initial position to enable the performer to repeat any passages of music, if desired.

A further object of the invention is to provide a music-holder and leaf-turner so constructed that it may be readily folded into small space and generally to improve the details of construction, so that the operation of all the parts may be positive and effective at all times and so that the parts may be held during operation in the desired relation to one another.

With all of the objects above stated in view the invention consists in the novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated one form of embodiment of the invention capable of carrying the same into practical operation, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, and exact mode of assemblage of the elements exhibited may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the music-holder and leaf-turner, showing the leaf-turning arms in position for operation. Fig. 2 is a detail plan view of the head of one of the leaf-turning arms and the member by which the leaf-turning arms are restored to operative position, a part of the head of the leaf-turning arm being broken away to show the internal structure. Fig. 3 is a detail plan view of the head of the leafturning arm shown in Fig. 2 with the detent for engagement with the member for restoring the arm to initial position retracted with in the head of the leaf-turning arm. Fig. at is a detail perspective view of a portion of the base and the arm for restoring the leaf turning arms to initial position. Fig. 5 is a detail view in section transversely of the base and the leaf-turning arms as shown in Fig. l, the section being taken in a plane adjacent to one end of the semicircular guidetrack. Fig. 6 is a detail view, from the side, of the structure shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a detail view, in transverse section, through the base and the ends of the leaf-turning arms adjacent to the mechanism for releasing said arms, the releasing mechanism being shown as in inoperative position. Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7, but with the releasing mechanism raised to operative position. Fig. 9 is a detail view, in rear elevation, of the supporting structure at the back of the base, showing the means for locking the extensible sections of said supporting structure together. Fig. 10 is a detail view in section through the base of a modified form of the apparatus, showing the means employed in that form of the invention for operating the member which returns the leaf-turning arms to operative position.

Referring to the drawings, in which corresponding parts are designated by the same characters of reference, 1 designates generally the base of the apparatus comprising the horizontal portion 2, the vertical portion 3 at the back of the horizontal portion, and the end pieces 4, which are rigidly connected with the ends of the vertical portion '3 and are in tegral with the horizontal portion 2. The

base is formed, preferably, of sheet metal of sufiicient thickness to give the required degree of strength to the structure.

On the horizontal portion 2 of the base, midway between the ends thereof and near the rear margin, is provided afixed pivot-pin 5, which is slotted throughout almost the entire length thereof at 6. The pivot-pin forms the axis upon which turn leaf-turning arms 7, 8, and 9, as well as a member 10, which serves to return the leaf-turning arms to initial position when actuated by means presently to be described. All of theleaf-turning arms are provided with heads, (designated, respectively, 11, 12, and 13,)each of which is formed, preferably, of two plates spaced apart, as shown, for the insertion between them of a small coiled spring. The springs, which are substantially alike, are of the form shown at 1 1, and each has one end attached to the head of the leaf-turning arm with which it is associated and has the other attached to a short sleeve of the form shown at 15, which is fitted within an opening in the head of a leaf-turning arm and has a transverse pin 16, which engages with the slot in the pivot-pin to hold the sleeve against rotation thereon. Each of the leaf-turning arms has associated with the head thereof, on the side opposite the point from which the leaf-turning arm projects, a detent whose utility will presently be explained. The detent provided on the head of the uppermost leaf-turning arm consists simply of alug 17 of the form shown, which is rigidly secured between the plates of which the head 13 is formed, and the detents on the lower leaf-turning arms comprise in each instance a pivoted member of the form shown at 18, which has the rear end slotted for the reception of the end of a spring 19. Each of the springs 19 is so arranged that it holdsthe detent actuated thereby normally in the position shown in solid lines in Fig. 2; but on the upper surfaces of theheads 11 and 12 are provided pivoted dogs 20, each having on its under surface a pin or stud 21, which extends downward into a recess formed therefor in the head and lies behind the spring 19, so that when the dog 20 is swung outward on its pivot the spring 19 will also be swung outward and the detent 18 associated therewith will be swung inward to the position indicated in dotted lines. The actuation of the dogs 20 is accomplished by means of downwardly-disposed studs or pins 22, provided on the under surface of heads 12 and 13 at points such that when the leaf-turning arms have been released and have swung over the base to turn the leaves of music the pins 22 will have been brought into engagement with the dogs 20 to force them outward and produce a corresponding inward movement of the detents 18. In

consequence of the inward movement of the have been released the detent 17 on the head of the uppermost arm will be the only one of the detents lying in the path of movement of the member 10.

The member 10 consists of two plates 23, spaced apart by short vertically-disposed pins 2 1, arranged in an are near the outer margin of the plates 23, and has an upwardly-projecting arm or lug 25, grooved on its rear face for engagement with projecting portions of the detents 18. A coiled spring26 is attached at one end to one of the pins 2 1 and has the other end inserted through the slot in the pivot-pin 5. The spring 26 is so arranged that it tends to swing the member 10 in the direction in which the springs upon the leafturning arms act, and in order to hold the member 10 in proper position for operation a stud 27 is provided upon the horizontal portion of the base and acts as a stop to limit the movement of the member 10 under the influence of its spring. The member 10 forms the means for returning the leaf-turning arms to their initial position after they have been released to turn the leaves of music, and in order to operate the member 10 for that purpose 1 provide a small chain 29, attached to one of the pins 2 1 and passing over a small grooved roll 30, mounted in a suitable guide 31 on the base of the device. The chain 29 may be drawn over the roll by hand directly or may when the device is used upon a musicstand be extended downward to a pedal (not shown) and operated thereby.

In order to insure the movement of the leafturning arms in parallel planes, 1. provide on the horizontal portion 2 of the base a curved guide 32 and provide the arms 7 and 8 with lugs 3a and 35, which extend downward from the arms and rest upon the upper surface of the guide. The leaf-turning arm 9 being lowermost rests directly upon the guide and contacts with a stop 33, formed at one end thereof. Each of theleaf-turning arms is provided at its outer end with a spring-claim), preferably of the form shown in Fig. 1, consisting of the plates 36 and 37, the former of which is rigidly attached to the arm and held in a substantially vertical plane, and the latter is pivotally mounted and provided with a small dependent lug 38, by which the plate is swung on its pivot against the influence of a spring 39, coiled on the pivot.

The means for releasing the leaf-turning arms one by one comprises two pivoted catches 40 and 11, mounted on opposite sides of a vertically-disposed plate 4.2, over which the leafturning arms are arranged. to swing. The

catch 10 has its pivotal point further forward than that of the catch 41 and is normally raised into operative position by means of a spring 43. The catch 11, which is pivoted to the rear of the catch 40, is longer than the catch 40, but has the arm-engaging portion thereof, which is the pointed lug 1 1, placed somewhat to the rear of the engaging portion of the catch 40. The two catches and 41 are both controlled by means of the spring 43, because the catch 41 has a small pin or stud 45 projecting laterally through a slot 46 in the plate 42 and so placed that it lies immediately under the rear end of the catch 40, so as to form means for limiting the pivotal movement of the catch under the influence of the spring.

In consequence of this construction whenever the catch 41 is raised the pin 45 will raise the rear end of the catch 40 and depress the forward portion thereof against the action of the spring 43. a

The release-key, by means of which I effect the release of the leaf-turning arms one by one, comprises a bail 47, pivotally mounted in the end pieces 4 of the base and normally raised by means of a spring 48. Rigidly attached to the bail 47 is an arm 49, extending over the horizontal portion 2 of the base and having a lateral lug 50 disposed under the catch 41, which is normally depressed into contact therewith by the action of the spring 43 in the manner already explained. The arm 49 is also provided with a downwardly-disposed lug 51, which contacts with the horizontal portion of the base to limit the downward movement of the free end of the arm and hold it at a point such that when the catch 41 rests on the lug 48 the point of the lug 44 will lie flush with or slightly below the upper edge of the plate 42, and the catch 40 will then be raised by the spring 43 into position to engage with a leafturning arm lying above the plate 42. The bail. 47, with the parts associated therewith, will be used to operate the release mechanism when it is desired to release the catches by hand; but when it is desired to use the foot, as when the device is mounted upon a musicstand, a small lever 53, pivoted on the hori- Zontal portion of the base and extending beneath the forward end of the catch 41, will be operated by means of a pedal, (not shown,) and attached at the lower end of a small chain 54, which extends downward from one end of the lever 53 through an opening in the base of the device. The spring 55, provided on the under side of the lever 53, keeps the end under the catch 41 normally depressed into inoperative position.

W'hen the bail 47 or the pedal connected with the lever 53 is operated, the catch 41 will be forced upward, and the pin 45, provided on the catch 41, will elevate the rear end of the catch 40 and depress the forward end sufficiently to permit the release of the leaf-turn ing arm which lies farthest forward; but before the catch 40 has been depressed far enough to release the leaf-turning arm the lug 44 on catch 41 will rise above the upper edge of plate 42 and pass between the arm which is farthest forward and that next behind it, so that when the arm in front is released all those behind it will be retained by the lug 44. When the catch 40 is allowed to return to its normal position under the influence of spring 43, catch .41 will be forced downward to its normal position and the leaf-turning arms remaining above plate 42 will move forward far enough to bring the one in front into contact with the catch 40.

In order to hold a book of music or separate leaves in position to be operated upon by the turning mechanism already described, I provide at the back of the base two horizontally disposed ledges 58, upon which the leaves or book may rest, and a support for the upper portion of the book or leaves consisting of two extensible back-sections 59, each comprising an outside member pivoted at its lower end to the vertical portion 3 of the base, as indicated at 59*, an inside member 61, which is bifurcated at its lower end for engagement with the upper part of vertical portion 3 of the base, and a middle member 62, which is connected with the outside and inside members by means of pivoted links 63 and 64. On one of the links 63 of one backsection is provided a lever 65, having the free end thereof slotted at 66, and upon the corresponding link 63 of the other back-section is provided a lever 67, bearing a stud 68 with small shank and large head, which is adapted to engage with the slot 66 in the lever 65. The levers and 67 form means for extending the two back-sections 59, so as to cause the inner side members 61 to approach each other, and in order to hold the inner side members in contact with each other there is provided on the rear surface of one of them a rack 69, with which a forwardly-bent edge on lever 67 engages. In order that the two inside members 61 may lie in the same plane and have their edges register, an eye 7 O is formed upon one of them and a tongue 71 for engagement with said eye is provided upon the other.

The meeting edges of the inside members 61 of the backsections form a clamp by means of Which the inner margins of loose leaves of music may be positively gripped, so that they will not be withdrawn by the action of the leaf-turning arms and so that the musical score will be fully exposed to View. By means of the small rack 69 and the edge provided for engagement therewith on the lever 67 the degree of pressure exerted by the two inside members of the back sections upon leaves of music clamped between them may be adjusted to the degree required.

The means for clamping a boolcin position upon the device and holding the unused leaves out of the way comprises a pair of springs 7 5. attached at their middle points to the vertical back-section 3 under the ledges 58 and provided at their ends with eyes 76, which form bearings for clamping-rods 77, supported therein and susceptible of pivotal movement within certain limits. Each of the clamping- &

rods 77 has at its inner end a small plate 78, to which is pivoted a clamping finger 79, which may be set at any desired angle to the bar 77. Near the outer end of each of the bars 77 is rigidly attached a short clampingfinger 80, and at the outer extremity of each clamping-bar is provided a crank 81, of resilient material, such as spring-steel, which is susceptible of being bent outward, if desired. Each of the cranks 81 has attached thereto a small plate 82, having one edge bent inward to engage with a small rack 83, formed upon the adjacent end piece 4: of the base, so as to hold the clamping-bar against pivotal movement. The cranks 81 are disposed in the direction opposite that in which the clampingfingers project, so that when the clampingfingers are directed upward in operative position the cranks 81 will be disposed downward in position for the plates 82 to be brought into engagement with the racks 83.

I/Vhen it is desired to place a book in position upon the device, the cranks 81 will be turned so as to permit the clamping-fingers to be disposed downward and forward, so that the book may be placed upon the ledges 58 and opened at the desired point. The book having been placed in position and opened, the leaves to be kept out of use on one side will be clamped in position by turning the crank 81 on that side of the hook downward into such position that the edge of the plate 82 may be brought into engagement with the rack 83, the clamping rod or bar 77 adapting itself automatically to the thickness of the book by the forward yielding of the spring 75, upon which the rod is supported. One side of the book having been secured in position, the other side will be secured in the same way. IVhen the music-book has been clamped by the device just described or the inner margins of separate leaves have been gripped between the inside members 61 of the back sections,the leaves to be turned will be introduced into the clamps upon the leaf-turning arms and the arms will be swung into position above the plate 42, so that the catch & may retain them in position until it is desired to release them one by one by means of the mechanism already described.

In the operation of the device the lowermost arm 9 is released first and swings to the opposite side of the base, where it will contact with the stop 33 at the end of the guide 32. The detent 18, provided on the head of the arm, will be held by the spring 19, assoeiated therewith, in such position that if the chain 29 be pulled after the arm has come into contact with the stop 33 the member 10 will turn upon the pivot-pin and the vertical projection 25 will engage with the detent and swing the arm 9 back to its original position; but if arms 8 and 9 have both been released before the chain 29 is pulled the detent 18, carried by the head of arm 9,

will have been thrown out of the path of the upward projection on the member 10, and the upward projection will engage only with the detent on the head of the arm 8 to return it to its initial position, and after restoring the arm 8 to initial position it will be necessary to allow the member to swing back to its normal position under the influence of the spring 27 and give a second pull upon the chain 29 to restore the arm 9 to normal position by engagement of projection with the detent on the head of the arm 9, which will have been released by the return of the arm 8 to initial position and will then be in position for engagement with said projection. If all three of the leaf-turning arms are released before the chain 29 is pulled, the uppermost arm 7 will be returned to initial position as a result of the first pull upon the chain 29. Then the arm 8 will be returned by a second pull, and finally the arm 9 will be drawn back by a third pull on the chain.

From the foregoing explanation of the operation of the mechanism for returning the leaf-turning arms to initial position it will be seen that the leaves are returned separately in reverse order, thus enabling the musician to bring back into view any one of the leaves of music which it is desired to repeat.

In the form of the embodiment of the invention described in the foregoing paragraphs it has been assumed that the base will be formed of sheet metal and will be provided on the under surface thereof with a strip of metal 85, which forms a guide for the insertion of a supporting member upon a music-stand. In Fig. 10 there is shown a slightly-modified form of base of wood, upon which, if desired, the structure already described, but without the strip 85, may be mounted with any suitable fastening means. When a wooden base-plate 86 is employed, the chain 29 will preferably have its end attached to one arm of a bellcrank lever 87, pivotally mounted in a bracket 88 at the front of the base-plate, so that the member 10, by which the leaf-turning arms are returned to initial position, may be operated by simply depressing the lever 87 with the finger, which will be a great convenience to pianists, as the return of the leaf-turning arms to initial position will be made more rapid by this form of operating mechanism.

The music-holder and leaf-turner, as hereinbefore described, is when in operative position with the back-sections extended and held by means of the interlocking devices already described an extremely stable and rigid structure upon which sheet-music or heavy volumes of musical scores may be supported with equal facility; but when the device is not in use and it is desired to carry it about the backsections may be disengaged, the vertical members of each section brought together, and as each of the parts 59 is pivoted at its lower end, as indicated at 59, each section may be swung down upon the pivotal support 59, so as to lie against the vertical portion 3 of the base when the entire structure will take up very little space.

While the device has been shown and described as having only three leaf-turning arms, it being very seldom the case that a musical score of more than eight pages is to be played at once, it is obvious that the same principles of construction may be applied to the manufacture of a device having a considerably larger number of leaf-turning'arms, and I do not desire to be limited to any specified number of such arms.

Having thus described the construction and operation of my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a base, a fixed pivot-pin mounted on said base, a leaf-turner having a spring secured in the head thereof, a sleeve rotatably mounted in said head and having one end of the spring secured thereto, and means carried by said sleeve for positive engagement with said pivot-pin to prevent rotation of the sleeve upon said pin.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a base, a pivot-pin fixed upon said base and having a longitudinal slot therein, a leaf-turner having a spiral spring secured in the head thereof, a sleeve rotatably mounted. in said head and having one end of said spring secured thereto, said sleeve being adapted to fit over said pivot-pin, and a member fixed in said sleeve for engagement with the slot in said pin.

3. The combination in a device of the class described, of a base, a pivot-pin provided on the base, a plurality of leaf-turning arms mounted for independent "movement on said pivot, an arm mounted on said pivot and normally held out of contact with said leaf-turning arms, detents provided on the heads of said leaf-turning arms for engagement with the last-mentioned arm, and means for swinging the last-mentioned arm on the pivot to restore the leaf-turning arms to operative position.

' 4. The combination in a device of the class described, of a base, a pivot-pin mounted on the base, a plurality of leaf-turning arms mounted on said pivot, a detent provided on the head of each of said arms the detents on all but one of said arms being susceptible of retraction and so placed that when the arms are in inoperative position, all but one of the detents provided thereon will be retracted, an arm mounted on the pivot, and means for swinging said last-mentioned arm on the pivot to engage the detent upon one of the leaf-turning arms to restore that arm to operative position.

5. The combination in a device of the class described, of a base, a pivot-pin mounted on said base, a plurality of leaf-turning arms mounted on said pivot, a detent provided on the head of each arm, the detents upon all but the arm to be released last being pivoted and susceptible of retraction, means provided on all but the first released of said arms for retracting the detent of the arm released before, and an arm mounted upon said pivot and adapted to be brought into contact with the detents on the leaf-turning arms to restore said arms successively to operative position.

6. The combination in a device of the class described, of a base, a pivot mounted on said base, a plurality of leaf-turning arms mounted on the pivot for independent movement thereon, a detent provided on the head of each arm, the detent on the head of the arm last released being rigidly attached, the detents on the other arms being pivotally mounted and susceptible of retraction, springs for keeping all of said pivoted detents normally advanced, means provided on the heads of all the leaf-turning arms, except that which is first released, for retracting the detent on the arm'released before, and an arm mounted on the pivot for engagement with said detents to return the leafturning arms successively to operative position.

7. The combination in a device of the class described, of a base, a pivot-pin on said base, a plurality of leaf-turning arms mounted for independent movement on said base, a detent on each of said arms, the detents on all but one of said arms being pivotally mounted and spring-actuated, a dog having a member for engagement with the spring controlling the detent provided on each arm having'a springactuated detent, means provided on each arm, except that which is first released, for engaging the dog on the arm released before to effect retraction of the detent on that arm, and a member mounted on the pivot for engagement with the detents on the leaf-turning arms to restore them successively to operative position.

8. The combination in a device of the class described, of a base, a pivot-pin provided on the base, a plurality of leaf-turning arms mounted for independent movement on said pivot, an arm also mounted on said pivot for engagement with said leaf-turningarms to return them to operative position, said arm havinga head consisting of two plates spaced apart by a plurality of pins placed near the margin of said plate, a spring between the plates of said head having one end attached to the head and one end attached to the pivot, and a chain attached to one of the pins and forming means for turning said arm against the action of the spring.

9. The combination in a device of the class described, of a base, a pivot-pin fixed upon said base and having a slot extending longitudinally thereof, a sleeve mounted on said pivot-pin and having a cross-pin extending through the slot in the pivot-pin, a leaf-turning arm journaled on said sleeve, and a spring coiled about said sleeve having one end attached to the sleeve and the other end attached to the leaf-turning arm.

10. The combination in a device of the class described, of a base, a pivot-pin on the base, a semicircular guide arranged concentric With said pin upon the base, and a plurality of spring-actuated leaf-turning arms mounted for independent rotation on said pivot and provided With lugs of different lengths extending downward from said arms and resting upon the semicircular guide.

11. The combination in a device of the class described, of a base, a plurality of leaf-turning arms pivotally mounted on said base for independent movement, a main catch to hold HARRY ()SMAN STEVENS.

itnesses:

JOHN F. OROMABLE, ILL E. SoNenR. 

